XY: Cole's Chronicles
by DaigoUKnow
Summary: This is the story of Cole Finster, a boy who has the ability to speak to Dark types and their pre-evolutions. He encounters a girl named Mina, and a rare colored Mightyena, who he later travels with. After an Absol blew up his father's lab, Cole and co. travel throughout the Kalos region to not only join the Pokémon League, but find his father as well. Note: SOME lines are cheesy.
1. Chapter 1

**The Journey Begins**

_Welcome to the wonderful world of Pokémon. In this world, people and Pokémon, live, work, and battle together. Every corner of the world houses many types of these remarkable creatures. Whether it be by land, underwater, the sky, or even the vasts reaches of space. There are even those that are only heard of in legend. Uncovering their secrets is one of the objectives given to Pokémon trainers. They also engage in competitions with their Pokémon partners to make their way to the Pokémon League._

_This is what a certain trainer will aim for after an encounter with a very special Pokémon._

A young man, with black hair, wearing a gray t-shirt and blue jeans was on the computer, clicking his mouse and typing.

_His name is Cole Finster. Born and raised in Vaniville Town, his family descends from trainers in ancient times who could understand the speech of Pokémon. However, in his case, he can only understand Dark types and their pre-evolutions. This is a mystery, as his whole family can understand every type. But it doesn't matter to him. He only cares about one thing:_

A woman's voice exclaimed to Cole "Honey, you got a present from Professor Sycamore!"

_His 10th birthday, the milestone of every future Pokémon trainer._

He said "Coming!" He got up and went downstairs. When he went to the front door, he met his mother.

Like him, she had black hair. However, she wore a white long-sleeved shirt, with an apron over it. She also wore black pants and slippers. "So, is my little man excited about getting his first Pokémon?" she asked, pinching his cheek.

"Mom!"

Professor Sycamore laughed. He held a small box in his hand. "Cole, this is the last Pokémon I had. Please take care of it well. Train hard with it, and be the best trainer you can be."

"I will, Professor. Thank you." He took the box and opened it. In the package was a Pokéball. He picked it up and then threw it in the air. "Come on out!"

A beam of light shot out of the ball after it opened. Then, a Froakie appeared. "_Whazzap_!"

"Sweet! A Froakie! Finally, a Pokémon I'll be able to talk to!"

Sycamore said "That's right. Your mother _did _say you could only understand Dark types and their pre-evolutions. Looks like this is you're lucky day. So, Froakie, how do you like your new trainer, Cole?"

Froakie said "_I can tell just by looking at him, I'll be a Greninja before you can say Water Gun!_"

Cole said "Froakie thinks I'll make him evolve pretty quick."

Sycamore smiled as he scratched his chin. "I can tell there won't be any problems here. So, here is your Pokédex and some Pokéballs. I'm sure you'll make good use of them." He handed Cole a platform-like device and five more Pokéballs.

Cole said "Thank, Professor. I'll head out as soon as possible-" His stomach growled. "After breakfast I mean. I'm starved."

His mother said "Don't worry. I already have it ready. Would you like to join us, Professor?"

Sycamore answered "I'd love to, Mrs. Finster. But, I have more pressing matters to attend to back at the lab."

"I understand. We'll be seeing you later."

He walked out.

Cole ran to the kitchen table, with Froakie not too far behind.

His mom put pancakes and fried eggs in front of him, along with a glass of Moomoo Milk.

His eyes lit up. "Woah! Thanks, Mom!"

"You're going to need your strength to go on that journey of yours." She got a bowl of Pokémon food ready and set it on the floor, along with water. "And Froakie needs a full stomach himself."

Froakie's eyes lit up too. "_Woah! This looks great, Cole! You're mom's the best!_"

She giggled. "Oh, Froakie. You're so sweet."

They chowed down. In the middle of it, they both nearly choked. Cole drank some of him milk and Froakie, some of his water.

Cole's mom said "Slow down, you two! You don't have to rush things. Try to savor your last few moments here for a while."

Cole and Froakie said "Sorry."

A little while, after breakfast, Cole packed some supplies and extra clothes. He then put Froakie back in his Pokéball and stepped out of the house.

He was greeted by a few kids his age. One was a young man, with spiky, red hair, wearing a red jacket. The other two were fraternal twins. One was a boy with dark blue hair parted to the left, wearing a white scarf and a dark blue sweater. The other was a girl with the same hair color as her brother's, but was a little longer and parted to the right. She wore a dark blue scarf and a white sweater.

The red-head was the first to speak "Yo, Cole! Happy birthday, dude. So, what Pokémon did you get from Sycamore?"

Cole answered "A Froakie." He got it out.

"Cool."

The twins said "Magnificent!"

Cole responded "Thanks, guys. So, I hear you got a Fennekin from the Professor. That true, Aedan?"

"Yep. Felix and Mimi over here started off with Espurr. Wanna battle a bit?"

"Sure."

They went to the main square. Cole and Aedan faced off.

Cole shouted "Go get 'em, Froakie!" He threw the ball in the air, bringing it out.

Aedan got out Fennekin. He shouted "Use Ember!"

Fennekin shot out small plumes of fire.

Cole said "Dodge it and use Bubble!"

It dodged and bubbles shot out of its mouth.

It hit Fennekin, who slid back.

Aedan then said "Don't think we're done yet! Use Tackle!"

Fennekin then dashed towards Froakie.

Cole shouted "You use Tackle too, Froakie!"

It nodded and dashed.

The two of them collided. When they seperated, they grunted and stared down. A moment after that, Fennekin went down.

Aedan put it back in its Pokéball. He then sighed. "I should've seen this coming. But I just wanted to battle once here before heading out."

Cole put Froakie back in its ball. "What about Felix and Mimi?"

They both said "We're going with Aedan!"

"Oh. Cool."

He asked "You gonna be okay by yourself?"

"I'm not alone. I've always got Froakie with me."

"Yeah... Well, see ya." Him and the twins walked towards the exit.

Cole brought out Froakie. "Come on, let me show you around town before we go."

"_Sounds good to me!_"

They explored the entire town. Froakie got to look at some flowers and Cole sat on a bench, looking at the sky. They both rode Rhyhorn throughout. After that, they said goodbye to Cole's mom and went on their way to the next town over.

It didn't take them that long. Once they reached Aquacorde Town, they decided to relax and take in some sites. They even visited the stores and stocked up on medicine and Pokéballs. Before they went for Route 2, Froakie decided to take a dip in the fountain.

Cole tried to get him out. "Froakie! Come on!" He pulled.

Froakie held on to the rim of the fountain. "_Just a few more minutes! Please?_"

"No! We gotta go!"

A girl, with pale blonde hair, wearing a grey cowl, hood down, walked by and said "Pathetic."

They both looked at her angrily. As she walked off, they passed by her and blocked the path. They both then asked "What's your problem?"

She smiled. "I really don't have time to play. But if it's a fight you want, I'll gladly oblige you, boy." She got out a Pokéball and threw it. "Noivern, let's go!"

A Noivern came out as she said. It screeched.

Cole got out his Pokédex. It said

"Noivern, the Sound Wave Pokémon and the evolved form of Noibat

This Pokémon is very aggressive towards those who close in on it. As it flies through the night sky, it emits ultrasonic waves from its ears."

Cole then thought _"This one looks tough. Maybe I should just let her slide."_

Froakie then said "_I wanna fight! Come on, Cole! Let's teach this overgrown rodent who's boss!_"

He sighed. "Alright. Use Bubble!"

It short out bubbles.

The girl said "Stay right where you are, Noivern."

It screeched and took the hit. It didn't even faze it.

She then said "Make quick work of them with Air Slash!"

Noivern flapped its wings, creating blades made of wind, aimed at Froakie. They were too fast to dodge.

Froakie went down easily.

Cole shouted "Froakie!" He ran to it. "Are you alright?"

It nodded sadly. "_I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to even put a scratch on it._"

"It's okay. You did the best you could. So, take a good rest." He put Froakie back in its ball.

The girl laughed. "You must be new. Let me give you some advice: Never pick a fight with someone without knowing what they're capable of." She put Noivern back in its ball. "Get stronger and you just might be able to pose a threat in the future. Until then." She walked away.

Cole went to the nearest Pokémon center. He then asked Nurse Joy "Can you heal my Froakie, please?"

She answered "Of course. Just give me a minute."

"Thank you." I went to sit down.

After about ten minutes, Nurse Joy came back with an energetic Froakie. "He's good to go. By the way, do you happen to know where you're going to for your first gym battle?"

"If I remember right, Santalune City has a gym."

"That's right! So, have you registered for the Pokémon League yet?"

"Oh! I almost forgot!" He got out his Pokédex and gave it to her.

She then placed it in a computer duct, scanned it and the monitor said

"Cole Finster from Vaniville Town

Registration Complete"

She gave it back after it came out of the duct "There. All set."

"Thanks, Nurse Joy. Come on, Froakie!"

It jumped on his shoulder and they exited the center. They then went to Route 2.

When then went far enough, a Mightyena jumped out in front of them. Only this one's fur was reversed, with the mane being light grey, and its body being solid black. It also wore some necklace with a strange stone on it.

Cole was in awe. "Woah! That's so cool!"

She growled. "_Worthless human!_"

Cole was more concerned about getting his camera, completely ignoring what she said. "Where is it?! No, not there... Not in there either. Ah! There it is!" He was able to find it.

Suddenly, the Mightyena ran after him.

Froakie went in front of Cole. "_Don't you hurt Cole!_"

She pushed him aside. "_Move it, you waste of space!_"

Froakie hit a nearby rock "_Ouch! That's going to sting in the morning!_"

Mightyena pounced, ready to bite.

As she was about to, he said "Hold still! I wanna take a picture!"

Amazed, she moved back. "_Why... would you want to take a picture... of me?_"

"Well... you looked pretty cool. A Mightyena with your kind of fur is extremely rare."

She shook her head. "_Lies! No one would want anything to do with me! You just want to use me like they did!_" It ran off.

Cole then chased after it. "Hey! Wait up! Who tried to use you?!"

Froakie got up and went after them "_Hey! Wait for me!_"

They followed it as far as the deepest part of the forest. Without knowing it, they had reached Beedrill territory. Many Kakuna and Weedil could be see throughout.

Suddenly, a whole bunch of Beedrill swarmed the area.

The three of them were cornered.

Cole then said "Let's see what Dexter has to say."

His Pokédex said:

"Beedrill, the Poison Bee Pokémon and the evolved form of Kakuna.

These territorial Pokémon live in colonies and will attack anything that disturbs their nest."

Cole and Froakie had a chill go down their spines after hearing that.

Mightyena was not showing the slightest bit of fear. "_Hmph. Pitiful. The fact you have to rely on others to attack a human and two Pokémon shows how weak you are._"

Angered by this comment, they all flew towards the three.

Cole screamed and Froakie covered it's eyes.

Mightyena smiled and shouted "_HAVE A TASTE OF THIS!_" A beam of energy shot out of its mouth, hitting all the Beedrill and knocking them unconscious.

Cole was astonished. "That was... Hyper Beam!"

Mightyena was exhausted. "_I had to waste one of my best attacks to protect an idiotic human and his Froakie... I must have really lost my mind..._"

Cole began to pet her. "Thank you!"

She backed away. "_Never touch me! Understand?!_"

He flinched. "Sorry!"

She then went on her way.

Cole then said "Wait!"

She stopped "_What do you want?_"

"Can I please just take one picture?"

"_...You're not going to use me, are you?_"

"Of course not! I just want to remember meeting a reverse-colored Mightyena!"

"_You... want to remember... me?_"

He nodded.

She made a small smile. "_Very well._"

He got out his camera. "I can't wait to put this in my album! Now, say cheese!" The shutter went off. "Perfect." He looked at the picture. "Would you like to see it?"

She was reluctant at first. "_Is it really okay?_"

"Yeah!" He held it to where they both could see it. "See? You look great on camera."

"_...All I see is a freak._"

"I don't think you're a freak, I think you're awesome!"

"_Really?_"

"You've got an extremely rare fur color and you just saved us from a swarm of Beedrill! Of course, you are!"

"_...Thank you, human._" It continued on.

He waved "Bye, Mightyena!"

It then ran out of sight.

He looked back at the picture on the camera. "I hope I see her again. And maybe even catch her. What about you, Froakie?"

He had to think. "_Aside from her pushing me away and almost biting you, she seemed alright. So, yeah, I hope we see her again too._"

At the top of a nearby mountain, the girl from before was watching them through high-tech binoculars. "Hm... It appears that boy becomes more troublesome by the minute. At least he was able to keep the target from discovering me. Now to line the bait." She got out a Pokéball. "Go now, Braixen!"

As she said, a Braixen came out. "Br!"

"Braixen, go down there and corner that Mightyena!"

It nodded. "Br!" It then jumped down and dashed towards the Mightyena.

It then said "_You again?! I have no time to play right now! So, why don't you make like a banana and split?!_"

Braixen, in a feminine voice said "_I'm afraid I can't do that. My trainer wants to catch you. And what she wants, she gets!_" She used Flamethrower.

Mightyena dodged and Crunched Braixen.

It moved back. "_Tough as ever. But don't expect me to go down that easily!_" It used Psychic on some nearby rocks and shot them at Mightyena.

"_You can say the same for me!_" She used Hyper Beam, exterminating the rocks.

Meanwhile, Cole and Froakie saw an explosion not too far from where Mightyena was heading.

Cole said "Come on, Froakie! We have to see if she's alright!"

"_Right!_"

When they reached the source, they found Mightyena, still fighting the girl's Braixen.

Cole said "Another Pokemon! And it's a Braixen!"

Mightyena turned to them. "_Get out of here! You'll only get in the way!_"

Froakie said "_Forget it! We're not leaving here without you!_"

Cole shouted "You know what to do, Froakie!"

"_Right!_" He used Bubble.

Braixen dodged it and used Psychic.

Mightyena took the hit. "_Gah!_"

Cole shouted "Oh no! Mightyena!"

"_I'm okay! Just go!_"

"No! I'm not leaving you here! If you go down, I'll go down with you!"

She was surprised. She then said "_Very well. Then I'll have you command me. My moves are Hyper Beam, Crunch, Iron Tail, and Double Team._"

"That's a sweet set of moves."

"_I know. Now, let's do this!_"

"Right! Use Double Team and follow it up with Iron Tail!"

"_You got it!_" Illusionary copies began to appear, with their tails glowing. They ran towards Braixen.

Braixen used Protect, deflecting all of them until the real Mightyena remained.

Cole then instructed Froakie "Use Bubble!"

Froakie did as instructed.

This time, it hit Braixen as its Protect disappeared.

"Mightyena, use Crunch! Froakie, time to Tackle!"

After that, they both went after Braixen.

Mightyena's teeth glowed as she bit Braixen.

Then, Froakie pushed Braixen to a nearby tree, knocking it out.

Froakie then went back to Cole and they high-fived. "Oh yeah!"

Mightyena then said "_It's not over yet._"

Froakie asked "What do you mean?"

The girl from before jumped down from the tree Braixen had hit. "I really underestimated you, boy. But this time, I won't go easy on you. I want that Mightyena, and no one is going to get in my way."

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	2. Chapter 2

**Cole's First Capture**

_We left off with Cole Finster, getting his first Pokémon, Froakie, and leaving for his journey. He had encountered a girl with a Noivern and was beaten easily. After healing Froakie, they set out to Route 2, where they met a reverse-colored Mightyena. At first, it tried to attack Cole. But, it fled when he wanted to take a picture of it. After they were cornered by a swarm of Beedrill, Mightyena saved them using its Hyper Beam and Cole thanked her. Mightyena finally let him take a picture of her and left soon after._

_As Mightyena was about to reach the end of the forest, the girl from before sent out a Braixen to hunt her down. They engaged in battle, only to attract attention from Cole and Froakie, who assisted her in defeating Braixen. But then, the girl arrived to the scene, finding her Braixen unable to battle._

_Now, our heroes will square off with the girl. But who will come out on top?_

The girl got out a Pokéball and threw it. "Come on out, Floette!"

As stated, a Floette came out. "Flo!"

"Floette, use Magical Leaf!"

Mightyena shielded Froakie, taking the hit. "_What should I do now, human?!_"

Cole said "Try using Hyper Beam!"

Mightyena shot it.

Floette dodge it with ease. "Ette! Floette!"

The girl instructed "Use Fairy Wind! Let's go!"

Suddenly, it conjured up a pink breeze, which blew over to Mightyena and Froakie.

Cole then said "A Fairy type move?! Mightyena, get out of there!"

It then said "_I can't! I've been running from this girl for far too long! It ends now! She can't capture a Pokémon that already has a trainer!_" She tackled Cole and headbutted one of the Pokéballs that fell from his belt. She them went into the ball.

It shook for a few seconds. It finally stopped and made a noise. Mightyena was caught.

The girl shouted "NOOOO! ALL THESE MONTHS WASTED!" She kept kicking the ground. "I worked so hard! To be bested by an upstart! UGH! Braixen, Floette, return!"

They went back in their Pokéballs.

"Noivern! Come on out!" When it did, she got on its back and they flew off. "I'll be back, boy! Just you wait! That Mightyena will be mine!"

When she was out of sight, Cole picked up the ball and sent out Mightyena. "Why did you do that?"

She answered "_...That girl's been chasing after me for quite some time... One reason I wanted you to stay away from me was so you wouldn't get caught in the crossfire._"

"That obviously didn't work. It's hard to just forget about a Mightyena as unique as you."

"_...Anyway, for some reason, she's been obsessed with catching me. But... you gave me a chance to escape... I'm sorry I had you waste one of your balls on me._"

"No problem. I got more before we got here. Right, Froakie?"

He answered "_Yep. Cole never leaves things to chance._"

Mightyena laughed. "_Maybe that's why you were so persistent about taking a picture of me... Thank you for your kindness, huma- ...Cole..._"

"Your welcome. But, I hardly did anything."

She shook her head. "_You ran after me, risking your own skin, just so you'd make a memory of seeing me. And you saved me from a miserable existence. All in only a few hours. Since I've already been caught, I wish to accompany you. Is... that alright?_"

"Of course, it is! Having you around will be awesome!"

She began to produce tears. "_...Someone ...finally wants me ...I'm so happy!_" She pounced on Cole and started licking him.

He laughed. "That tickles! Stop that!" He continued to laugh.

After a little while, the three of them trained a bit while in the forest.

Cole said "Alright, Froakie, keep hitting that tree with Bubble!"

"_Alright!_"

Little did they know, they were being watched. "Scat! Scatter!"

They continued to train until Froakie had learn some pretty good moves. As they were about to continue on there way out of the forest, they were met by some familiar faces.

Aedan said "Hey! Cool Mightyena, Cole. Where'd you get it?"

Cole answered "I just ran into it."

"Wow. I have the worst luck. If only I had gotten here sooner. Then _I _would have it by now." He scratched the back of his head.

Felix commented "The fur color is extraordinary!"

Mimi added "Yeah! It's all topsy-turvy! So retro!"

Mightyena blushed. "_Good grief. Can't a girl catch a break?_"

Aedan asked " Sure, it looks cool. But how tough is it?"

Cole said "Mightyena?"

She nodded and fired Hyper Beam in the air.

Aedan was frozen in amazement. "Woah. You just might get into the League with it by your side."

"You think?"

"Yep."

The twins said "Definitely."

Mightyena asked "_League? As in Pokémon League?_"

Cole answered "Exactly. If we train hard enough and get 8 gym badges, we'll be able to test ou strength against trainers from across the region!"

"_Sounds interesting._" She them turned to Froakie "_Let's do our best out there._"

Froakie gave her a thumbs-up. "_You got it!_"

Aedan asked "Why don't we meet up later by the gym in Santalune City? That way, we can watch everyone battle."

Cole said "Sounds cool to me."

"Awesome. See ya there." Aedan went on his way.

The twins followed.

Mightyena said "_Okay, Froakie. Let's get back to training. This first gym isn't going to be easy._"

Froakie nodded.

As they trained, Cole sat down next to a bush. A couple seconds later, it began to shake. Then suddenly, a Scatterbug jumped out and used String Shot, covering Cole.

He said "HEY! GET ME OUTTA HERE!"

Mightyena and Froakie turned to see Cole had been covered in silk webbing.

The Scatterbug was gone.

They got him out.

Cole said "I can't believe that happened."

Froakie sighed "_If it weren't for me trying to get stronger, I would've seen it. I'm sorry._"

Mightyena said "_You have nothing to be ashamed of. I should have been on the lookout during training._"

Cole added "I should have seen it coming. I _was _right there. Either way, we now have to find that Scatterbug. I'm not leaving here without teaching it a lesson." He laughed maniacly.

Mightyena and Froakie were a little scared, sweating.

Cole had set a trap with some Pecha berries he picked. Under them was a spring-loaded net covered in leaves.

Mightyena asked "_Don't you think it's a little too obvious?_"

Cole said "Look, I've watched enough cartoons to know this trick works. So just trust me on this."

Scatterbug came, saw the berries and began to eat them.

With a sinister smile, Cole pulled the trap's rope. Nothing happened. "What the-"

Scatterbug had finished the berries and continued on its way.

When it left, Cole checked the trap. "Why didn't it work?! Maybe it's the way I pulled it.

Mightyena and Froakie had been trapped by Scatterbug's String Shot and it pulled the rope.

Cole looked and smiled nervously.

The trap sprung and he was in the net. "...Note to self: Don't believe everything cartoons teaches you."

An unexpected visitor came. It was the girl after Mightyena. She saw them caught in the webbing and net. She busted out laughing. "You'd really choose this trainer, Mightyena?! It hasn't even been a day!" She continued to laugh. "This is so good it must be fattening!"

A vein popped up on Cole's forehead as she continued. "LET US OUT OF HERE!"

She calmed down. "Alright, fine. Noivern, cut them out with Air Slash." She released it from its Pokéball and it did as instructed. "Now, I scratched your back. So, you have to scratch mine. Give me the Mightyena."

"Forget it! I caught it. Therefore, it's mine! Besides, she wants to stay with me. Right, Mightyena."

She answered "_I'm starting to reconsider my options after what that Scatterbug did._"

Cole fell over, head-first. He got up. "Thanks a lot, Mightyena."

The girl suggested "I have an idea. Let's battle for it. I'll even make it easier on you." She sent out Braixen. "My Braixen versus your Froakie. The winner's trainer gets to take Mightyena."

Cole thought for a second "_Okay... She's given me a type advangtage. However, it took both Mightyena and Froakie to knock it out... I'll have to really keep my guard up on this one._" He said to her "Fine. But if I win, you better keep your end of the deal."

"I say the same to you."

"By the way, I never asked your name."

"It's Mina. Like you, I'm a trainer registered for the Pokémon League. However, I already have three gym badges."

"THREE?!"

"Yes. However, despite my strength, my fourth badge eludes me. So, I've been scouring the region in search of more powerful allies. Which is how I met that Mightyena there."

"So, you only wanted Mightyena to get even more ahead of everyone else?"

"That was the plan, until you had to interfere. Braixen."

It was ready to fight.

Cole said "Froakie, let's go."

"_Nothing to it, but to do it!_"

For a second, they stared down. Then, the battle began.

Mina was first "Braixen, use Flamethrower!"

Braixen did as she was told.

Cole followed up with "Dodge it and use Quick Attack!"

As stated, he dodged and dashed towards Braixen, high-speed, colliding with her.

"Now, while you're in close, use Bubble!"

It blew bubbles in Braixen's face.

She backed away.

Mina instructed it "Psychic!"

It made a tree float in mid-air and aimed it at Froakie.

Cole shouted at Froakie "Try to catch it!"

Everyone was surprised.

Mightyena asked him "_Are you mad?! He has to dodge it!_"

"Just trust me and do it!"

Froakie made an intense expression and nodded, extending its hands. As soon as the tree reached him, he began to be pushed back. It got so bad, a dirt trail was being left on the ground. It finally stopped. Other then some scrapes on his hands, Froakie was unscathed.

Mina was astonished. "I... I don't believe this. He actually took a shot in the dark and stopped Braixen's attack..." She smiled and thought "_Perhaps he's not as worthless as I thought._"

Cole then shouted "Time for our ace in the hole! Water Pulse! Let's go!"

An orb of water emerged between Froakie's hands "_Go big or go home! Oh yeah!_" He shot it in the ground, creating a small tidal wave.

Braixen couldn't move. She was amazed at the spectacle of Froakie's latest skill. The water fell on top of her, knocking her out.

Mina shouted "Braixen!"

Cole said "I win! Booyah!"

She returned Braixen into its ball. "A deal's a deal. You can keep Mightyena... Looks like I'll have to keep searching. Come on, Noivern." They started to walk away.

Cole suddenly said "Wait!"

They turned to him. Mina asked "What is it?"

"...Look, I'm new, no doubt about that. But you're experienced. Surely you know how to deal with a Scatterbug. Maybe even more than that... So, could you help me out until I have my first badge? ...Please?"

"...Normally, I wouldn't waste my time on a rookie. But, since you asked nicely, I accept. However, I expect you to do something for me."

"What?"

She crossed her arms. "You have to treat me at one of Lumiose City's best restaurants when we get there."

"Um... Okay. How much are we talking here?"

She turned away. "Hmph. The fact you would ask that means you don't have any money to spend on such fine cuisine."

"I'm 10! What do you expect?"

"I expect you to be a gentleman."

He sighed. "Fine... I'll try and get more money."

"Good. Now, let's find that Scatterbug."

Froakie said "_Too late_."

Cole turned to find him covered webbing. "Uh-oh."

Scatterbug jumped on his head.

"AH! Get it off!" He was going everywhere. "Stop, drop and roll- stop, drop, and roll- stop, drop, and rooooooooll!"

Mina squinted angrily "That's for fire, you twit!"

Scatterbug jumped off and laughed. "Scatt! Scatter! Scatterbug!"

Mightyena said "_I believe it wants you to battle it, Cole._"

Cole said "If it's a fight it wants, then that's what it's gonna get! Let's go, Froakie!"

He broke out of the webs in anticipation. "_Oh yeah! Time to go buck wild!_"

"Use Bubble!"

It did just that.

Scatterbug dodged and used Stun Spore, releasing a yellow powder.

Cole quickly said "Froakie, get out of the way!"

Froakie tried to, but was hit by the yellow cloud. It was paralyzed.

"Froakie!"

Scatterbug laughed.

"Grr! Froakie, can you move?"

"_Kinda. But it's hard to._"

"Try and use Water Pulse!"

"_O...kay!_" It readied an orb. But couldn't release it.

"Come on, Froakie! You can do this! I believe in you, buddy!"

A fire showed in Froakie's eyes and it shot out the orb. "_Try and dodge that!_"

Scatterbug smiled and suddenly used String Shot on itself. The webbing took the blow instead.

Cole's jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me?!"

Mina pondered "Hm... This Scatterbug is even more clever than I realized. Try using your moves in the area around it."

Cole looked confused. "I'm battlng Scatterbug, not the trees."

"Just do it. I _am _more experienced. And you _are _just a noobie." She made a ridiculous smile.

"...Froakie, aim Water Pulse at the trees!"

"_You... got it!_" He shot a few orbs at the nearby foliage.

Scatterbug didn't expect it and got hit a few times. Getting up was hard for it to do. "Scat! Scat! Scatterbug!" It used String Shot.

Since Froakie was still affected by Stun Spore, it couldn't move and was covered in webbing.

Cole shouted "Oh no!"

Scatterbug then used Tackle on Froakie continuously.

All Cole could do was watch as Froakie was being slowly beaten by Scatterbug.

Mightyena finally spoke up "_That's enough!_"

It stopped. "Scat?"

"_Cole switch out Froakie and let me fight! This Scatterbug needs to be taught a lesson in manners!_"

Cole responded "Right! Return, Froakie!"

He went back in his ball.

"Okay, Mightyena. It's up to you."

She nodded. "_You have a new opponent. Prepare yourself._"

It kept its guard up. "Scatter..."

Cole told Mightyena "Use Crunch!"

Her teeth glowed and she bit Scatterbug especially hard.

It screamed in pain "SCATTERBUUUUG!" It backed away. It used String Shot only for it to be dodged.

Cole told Mightyena to "Use Hyper Beam!"

She shot it at close-range.

Scatterbug collapsed. Its eyes swirled around. "Scat... ter... buuuug..."

Cole took out a Pokéball from his belt "Pokéball," He threw it at Scatterbug. "go!"

Scatterbug went into the ball. It shook for a few seconds, finally stopping and made the noise, determining Scatterbug was caught.

Cole picked it up.

Mina asked "So, your true intention was to capture it?"

"Not really. At first I was trying to pay it back for when it used String Shot on me. But I started to figure out why it was doing this to us, mostly because of Mightyena. She knew exactly what was going to happen and I didn't listen until it was too late. Now Froakie's hurt..."

"...Let him out. I'll get him in tip-top shape in no time."

"Really?"

"Don't think I'm doing this for you. This is for Froakie. Besides, after that first fight we had, I feel kind of bad."

Noivern screeched sadly.

Cole let out Froakie.

He could barely stand.

Mina got out some potion and Cheri berries. "Hold still. This will sting a bit." She sprayed the potion on Froakie.

He flinched for a second. "_Ah! Man, that hurts!_"

"I'm almost done." After the potion, she fed him some of the berries. "These should take care of the paralysis real quick."

He ate them and felt better a little while after. "_Wooh! I feel like a whole new Pokémon! Oh Yeah! Froakie's back!_"

"There we go. Good as new. As a reward for being so brave, here's a lava cookie."

He took it. "_Sweet!_" He chowed down.

Cole said "Thanks, Mina."

"It was nothing. Since we're going to be traveling together for a while, I'm going to need to know your name. Unless you like to be called Noobie."

"Cole. Cole Finster. Nice to meet you, even though you tried to take my Mightyena a while ago."

"Likewise." She shook his hand. "Shall we get going then?"

" Right! Time to head for Santalune City!"

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	3. Chapter 3

**Astounding Evolution!**

_We left off with Cole, Mightyena and Froakie defeating Mina's Braixen. Then, she brought out her Floette. Mightyena surprised Cole and Mina by forcing herself into one of his Pokéballs, effectively stopping Mina from catching her._

_After she left, Mightyena, captured, asked him if she can come along. He accepted and they all began to train. Meanwhile, a Scatterbug had attacked Cole, making him angry enough to try and trap it. Failing miserably, Mina came back and released Cole and company from their predicaments._

_Being persistent as always, Mina challenged Cole's newly-trained Froakie to a battle with her Braixen for ownership of Mightyena. After losing the battle, Mina explains that she only wished to capture a Pokémon strong enough to help her obtain her fourth gym badge. As she was about to leave, Cole pleaded to have her help him train his Pokémon and deal with Scatterbug._

_After a full-on fight with it, Mightyena was finally able to defeat the mischevious Scatterbug. Cole then captured it with one of his Pokéballs, adding to his team._

_Cole and Mina are now heading for Santalune City for his first gym battle._

It was night. The light of the moon reflected on the leaves of the trees.

Mina yawned and rubbed her left eye. "I'm so tired. Can't we just camp out for the night?"

Cole answered "No! I want to get my gym badge as soon as possible!"

"And don't forget you promised to treat me to dinner when we got to Lumiose City."

"You and stupid Lumiose City! If you love it so much, why don't you marry it?!"

"You know, one of my biggest dreams is to meet a nice guy there and get married." She sighed happily. "I can see it now. He'll be the strongest trainer around. Everywhere he goes, Pokémon will both love and fear him! And he'll treat me like a goddess."

"A goddess of what, war and chaos?"

She punched him in the back of the head, leaving a lump and knocking him down. "Watch your tongue. You just might bite it off one of these days."

In a strained voice, he said "Okay... Let's camp out." Thankfully, Cole had packed a sleeping bag. However, it was just that, one sleeping bag. A second one wasn't in sight. "Draw straws?"

She literally drew a straw. "I win. Give it to me."

"You know what I meant!"

"I don't care. I'm getting that sleeping bag, one way or the other. You can either hand it over, or things can get ugly real fast." She cracked her knuckles.

He sweated nervously. "What do you expect me to sleep in?"

"I don't care. I just want to be warm in this cold, fall night."

"You think I don't want to be warm?!"

"Look, a girl has to have her priorities. I'm not sharing a sleeping bag with a boy. That's just going a little far."

Mightyena commented "_I know I wouldn't even let another Mightyena lick me on the first date._"

He blushed. "What do you take me for?!"

"Do you really want me to answer?"

Mightyena said "_I can think of a few things._"

Cole grunted. "...I'll sleep on the ground."

Mina then said "Good boy, Cole." and patted him on the head.

They both got a fire ready and went to bed. Mina slept comfortably in the sleeping bag and Cole had to use Scatterbug's String Shot as a temporary medium of warth.

In the middle of the night, Scatterbug was very anxious for some reason and went to the nearest tree to rest. "Scatter... bug..." Unbeknownst to it, it vaguely glowed.

The next day, Cole searched everywhere for it. "Scatterbug! Where are you?! Come on, buddy! I'm sorry I sneezed on you yesterday!"

Mina also helped search "Scatterbug! Get out here! Where did you go?! Are you hungry?! I have an extra lava cookie!"

In the tree, there was no Scatterbug, but a Spewpa. It woke up after hearing the cries of its trainer. "Spew... Pa?" It yawned "SPEWPA." It then jumped out of the tree and cried "SPEWPA! SPEWPA!"

Cole could here it. "Could it be?" He ran towards the direction of the cries and found Spewpa. "Scatterbug?"

It nodded. "Spew!"

"Mina, I found him!"

She ran towards them. "You did?" She saw Spewpa. "Ah. So, it's almost time."

"Time? For what, Mina?"

"You see, Cole, many bug types don't take that long to evolve. In fact, Scatterbug has a very fast evolution process. All it needs is a little combat experience and BAM, it'll fully evolve. Right now it's in its first stage as Spewpa."

He got out his Pokédex.

"Spewpa the Scatterdust Pokémon and the evolved form of Scatterbug.

Spewpa use their fur coats to protect themselves from predators. They even go as far as to spray powder to slow them down."

Cole then said "So, all it needs is to battle a few times? Easy peasy, shock a Pidgey. I just need to find someone to battle."

"Not as simple as you'd think. this forest is quite large. Finding even one trainer could take a while."

"Well, let's find one then."

"Huh?"

"Yeah. I need to get my Pokémon pumped up before my gym match anyway. So, that leaves most of the day to find someone."

"...Alright. In fact, I just had a brilliant idea." She got out Noivern.

It screeched.

"You can use Noivern to scour the area. This will save time and resources."

"That _is _pretty smart."

Mightyena commented "_Of course, it is. That's how she was able to keep up with me for as long as she did._"

Froakie said "_Sweet! We're going to fly! High in the sky! Wooh!_" He then jumped on Cole's shoulder and they got on Noivern's back.

Spewpa got on too. "Spew!"

It then soared. They could see the entire forest from a bird's-eye view.

Cole looked everywhere. Then, he saw a child in a ninja outfit. "Noivern, you mind taking us down there?"

Noivern screeched and zoomed down near the child.

He said "Cool! A Noivern!"

"Thanks. It's a friend's. So, kid, you wanna battle? My Spewpa needs some experience in battle before it can evolve."

"Sure! I gotta get my Nincada stronger too! It's a win-win! My name is Shinobu."

"Hi. My name's Cole. This is Froakie."

"_Whazzap!_"

Shinobu replied "Cool! That one can evolve into Greninja!"

"Yeah. But we're a little far from that. We're working on it though."

He sent out Nincada. "My Nincada is also a work in progress. But he's tough."

Spewda jumped off of Noivern and went to talk to Nincada. "Spew! Spewpa Spew!"

"Nin, Nincada."

Cole said "Well, our Pokémon our acquainted. So why don't we get this show on the road?"

Shinobu nodded.

Spewpa and Nincada stared down with intensity, as did Cole and Shinobu.

Cole started them off. "Spewpa, use String Shot!"

Spewpa shot webs that headed straight for Nincada.

Shinobu followed up with "Nincada, dodge and use Scratch!"

Nincada moved out of the way and scratched Spewpa.

Cole instructed "Don't think that's all we've got! Tackle, now!"

Spewpa tackled Nincada away.

Shinobu then said "Nincada, use Fury Swipes!"

Nincada went to Spewpa.

As it was about to attack, Spewpa generated a barrier to protect itself.

Cole asked "Was that Protect just now?"

Shinobu answered "Yeah. And it came at a good time too."

Spewpa looked angrily at Nincada.

As the barrier disappeared, Cole told Spewpa "Now's your chance! Tackle, now!"

It pushed Nincada, full-force.

Nincada then got up.

Shinobu said "Finish this off with Leech Life!"

Nincada rushed over to Spewpa.

Cole said "String Shot yourself, Spewpa!"

Spewpa laughed mischievously and did just that.

Nincada couldn't bite through the webs. Spewpa had to have made about four layers.

Shinobu was shocked "I've never seen that before! A defensive tactic with String Shot! That's so cool!"

"That's not all. Spewpa, free yourself and use Tackle!"

Spewpa broke free of the webs and tackled Nincada.

Mina finally showed up, with Mightyena.

Shinobu said "Use Harden!"

Nincada stood firm. "Nin!"

Cole retaliated "Spewpa, Tackle it!"

Spewpa pushed Nincada back. But it didn't work as much as last time.

"Keep using Tackle until it goes down!"

Every hit was tiring for Spewpa. "Spew! Pa! Spew! Pa! Spew!" And the last hit- "PA!" finished it, pushing Nincada to a nearby tree.

Xs appeared on its eyes.

Shinobu returned it to its ball. "I can't believe how fast that Spewpa can tackle. Harden barely had any effect on its offense. You're one tough trainer, Cole."

Mina laughed. "Him? Tough? That's a laugh! He doesn't even have a gym badge."

"Strength doesn't have anything to do with badges, it's all the hard work you put in to training your Pokémon."

Cole returned Spewpa. "Mina, this is Shinobu. Him and his Nincada are training too."

Shinobu saw Mightyena. "Woah! Look at the fur! It's all reversed! So cool!"

Mightyena said "_Again with this?_" She grunted.

Mina said "Mightyena, when you have fur like that, you tend to attract attention."

"_I know. But it gets old really fast. So, Cole, how close is Spewpa to evolving?_"

He answered "I'd say pretty close. Maybe just one more battle and we'll be good to go."

Shinobu said, while petting Mightyena "Sorry, Cole. But Nincada is still exhausted. And it's my only Pokémon."

Cole was shocked. "You mean I just left you defenseless?!" He lowered his head in shame. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. I can take of myself. I once sparred with a Graveler."

"But... you're just a little kid."

"A little kid that can catch Pokémon with his bare hands! That's how I caught Nincada."

"...Cool. So, are you planning to catch another pokemon out here?"

"I'm trying to find a Bunnleby. There's supposed to be a whole bunch of them out here. But I haven't even caught a glimpse of one."

Mina informed him "I'm afraid you're too deep in the woods. I assume you came from Santalune?"

He nodded. "Yeah. That's my hometown."

"You should be able to find plenty when you come near Aquacourde from the south end."

"Cool. Thanks, Mina." He ran to the direction she told him to go.

Mina asked Cole "You _did _disarm that last trap you set yesterday, right?"

He was hesitant. He had to think for a second. "Um... Yeah. I'm sure I did."

Meanwhile, Shinobu kept going through the south end of the forest. He then stumbled upon a patch of leaves covering the path. With it being too suspicious to let go, he found the nearest rock and through it. It went through the thin patch, revealing a hole. He then went through the trees, avoiding the hole. "Who would be stupid enough to fall in a hole like that?"

He past by a Scolipede without knowing it. As it walked through the path, it didn't notice the hole under the patch of leaves and fell in. It became angry and went on a rampage. "SCOLIPEDE!" He crashed through trees and attacked anything in sight.

Cole and co. were trying to find a trainer to help with Spewpa's battle experience when, all of a sudden, a bunch of Pokémon were running from something.

Cole asked "What's going on?"

Mina answered "It would seem something has caused a commotion."

"I'll go check it out! Come on, Froakia, Mightyena."

They both nodded and said "_Right!_" They followed him into the direction all the Pokémon ran from.

Spewa was behind then, without their knowledge. "Spew. Spewpa."

Mina then thought "_What does he hope to accomplish? Does he seriously believe he can stop whatever is causing this?_" She then remembered something. A vision of her younger self shielding a Noibat from a couple of poachers. "_...He better not get himself hurt._"

Cole found the Scolipede turning the forest into a war zone.

It was not in the best of moods. "SCOLIPEDE!" It spit out a purple liquid.

"Watch out! It's using Toxic!"

They all got out of the way.

"Quick, Froakie! Use Water Pulse!"

Froakie threw an orb in the ground, creating a waterfall, hitting Scolipede.

Scolipede wasn't affected much and was even angrier. "SCOLIPEDE!" It began to rotate its body like a tire and tried to run over them.

They moved out of the way.

Mightyena said "_This time, it used Steamroller!_"

Cole then said "Then we better take this more seriously. Mightyena!"

"_I'm on it!_" She used Hyper Beam.

It used Protect. "SCOLIPEDE!"

Spewpa suddenly appeared and began tackling Scolipede. "Spew! Pa! Spew! Pa! Spew Pa!"

Cole demanded "Spewpa! Get out of there before you get hurt!"

It shook its head after hearing what Cole said. It kept tackling.

Scolipede swatted it away, making it hit a tree.

It got up and kept fighting.

Scolipede kept pushing it away.

Despite the difference in strength, it just wouldn't give up.

When Scolipede was about to finish Spewpa off, Cole ran in between them and took the hit. He was then thrown into the same tree. "Ugh... Spew... pa..."

Spewpa became mad and then emitted a bright luminescence from its body.

Froakie said "_He's... evolving!_"

Mightyena added "_Such a beautiful sight._"

It grew wings and its whole appearance had changed. It was now a Vivilion. "Viv! Vivilion!"

Cole was in awe. "Vivilion?" He got out his Pokédex.

"Vivilion the Scale Pokémon and the evolved form of Spewpa.

These Pokémon are very unique, as their wing pattern is dependent on the climate they reside in."

"Woah... Cool."

Vivilion was then surrounded by a purple aura.

Scolipede then tried to use Steamroller on it. But when it was close enough, a barrier made of the same aura appeared and went after Scolipede. It was thrown back.

Cole said "No way! A new move! And Struggle Bug to boot!"

Vivilion then spoke to Scolipede "Viv! Vivi! Vivilion! Vivi!"

Scolipede rebuttaled "Scolipede! Scoli! Scolipede!"

Cole asked "What are they saying, guys?"

Froakie was laughing. "_Turns out, it fell in that last trap you made._"

Mightyena said "_It got mad and wanted to turn the entire forest upside-down just to make the one responsible pay._"

Cole got out of the tree and went to Scolipede. "I'm afraid that was my trap. I'm sorry, Scolipede."

It was silent for a second. Then "Scoilpede."

Vivilion flew throughout the air happily.

Froakie said "_It forgives you, Cole._"

Cole asked "Really?"

Scolipede nodded and headbutted him. "Scolipede Scolipede Scoli pede pede Scoli!"

Mightyena translated "_Just don't go laying traps without the consideration of other pokemon._"

Cole laughed nervously, rubbing the bump on his head. "I'll keep that in mind. See ya, Scolipede."

Scolipede nodded and turned to Vivilion. "Scolipede pede Scoli?"

"Vivilion Vivi Vivilion..."

"What are they saying now?"

Mightyena and Froakie said "_You don't want to know _"

He was confused.

After Scolipede had left, they went back to Mina, who was pacing having to wait on them.

She asked "What took you so long?! I was beginning to think you had gotten hurt somewhere!"

Cole asnwered with a question of his own. "You were worried about me?"

She blushed. "N-n-no! I was worried you tried to ditch me so you wouldn't keep your end of our deal!"

"But you just said-"

She changed the subject "Oh! Look at that! Spewpa evolved into Vivilion."

"Um, yeah. Turns out a Scolipede fell into that last trap I set and got mad. Fighting it made Spewpa evolve." He laughed nervously.

"I told you to move the leaves so someone would at least see it."

"For the love of-! Who are you, my mother?!"

"If I were you're mother, I'd make sure you checked EVERY trap you made before you left them lying around."

"That was an accident though!"

"Now it was an accident! But what if someone had gotten hurt?"

As they argued, Mightyena asked Froakie "_Can you believe those two?_"

Froakie answered "_No kidding. Things are getting interesting real fast._"

"_Let's just hope they don't wring each other's necks before we reach the next town._"

Cole suddenly shouted "Will you stop nagging me?!"

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	4. Chapter 4

**Viola,**

**Photographer Extraordinare**

_We left off with Cole and co. camping out in Satalune Forest for the night. The next morning, Scatterbug had evolved into Spewpa. This led to Cole wanting to train Scatterbug so it would evolve into Vivilion. He then met Shinobu, a trainer who was also trying to strengthen his Nincada and find a Bunnelby._

_After a fierce battle between Spewpa and Nincada, Shinobu left for Route 2 to find Bunnelby. As he was, he had found the last trap Cole had made to catch Scatterbug the day before and avoided it with no problems. However, a Scolipede was unable to know of the trap and fell in it. This angered it so much, it began to destroy the forest, trying to find the one responsible._

_Cole, Froakie and Mightyena went to go calm it down. Spewpa had followed them. After a few attempts to slow Scolipede down, Spewpa stepped in and tried its best to defeat the gargantuan pokemon. When Scolipede was about to finish it off, Cole jumped in between them just in time to take the hit._

_Spewpa, angered, evolved into Vivilion and used its new move, Struggle Bug to finally put an end to Scolipede's wrath. Cole apologized for not checking the trap and Scolipede went on its way._

_Crisis averted, Cole and co. continue their way to Santalune City._

As they were about to reach the city, they found a woman with a camera taking pictures of local bug Pokémon. "Okay Butterfree, just do what you'd normally do. There you go. Fantastic." She snapped a picture. "Okay. I think that's all I'll need. Thank you for modeling for me, Butterfree."

Butterfree nodded. "Fre-e-e-e-e!" It then flew away.

She waved. "Bye!" She then noticed the group, especially Mightyena. "Woah!" She ran to us.

Cole was freaked out. "Yipe!" He hid behind Mina.

The woman said "Mina! It's been a while. How are you?"

She answered "Fine. So far, I have three badges."

"Great! Who's your friend?"

"He's more of a meal ticket. His name's Cole. He just started his journey a few days ago."

She knelt down. "Whose Mightyena is this?"

Cole answered "It's mine. Who are you?"

She got up. "Oh! Sorry! I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Viola, the Santalune Gym Leader. I'm also into taking pictures of Pokémon."

"I'm Cole Finster. This one on my shoulder is Froakie.

Fraokie and Mightyena both said "_Nice to meet you._"

"You're Mightena's fur is amazing. May I ask where you found it?"

"Actually, I just happened to run into her on Route 2. Would you like to take a picture?"

"I would. If... that's okay with her."

She nodded. "_Sure._"

Cole said "You have a green light."

Viola took out her camera. "Okay, Mightyena. Just do what you would normally do. Keep it natural."

She sat down and brought her head up. "_Like this?_"

"There you go. Now keep that pose. Fantastic." She snapped a picture. "Got it."

Cole asked "Can I see it?"

"Sure, take a look." She showed it.

"Yep. That's her alright."

Mightyena looked at it too. "_I don't see anything special. That's just how I look._"

Cole asked her "Have you ever seen another Mightyena?"

"_Only pictures. Their fur was different from mine though._"

"Exactly."

"_...I must say... I do look good on film._"

"Oh, great! Now you're becoming a diva."

"_I'm not a diva! I just happen to like being the center of attention._"

"And that makes it better?"

Viola was confused. "Is he actually having a conversation with her?"

Mina nodded. "Cole is able to talk to Dark types and their pre-evolutions."

"That's amazing! I wish I could talk to Bug types! That would be so cool!"

Cole said "So, when can I have that gym battle?"

"There was a group of kids waiting on me. So, you'll be after them."

"They wouldn't happen to go by Aedan, Felix and Mimi, would they?"

"Yeah. You must be a friend of theirs."

"The best I've got!"

"Hm. They did say something about waiting on someone. Who knew it would be you? Well, follow me. To the Santalune Gym!"

When they entered the city, they saw Aedan and the others waiting outside the gym.

Viola said "Sorry to keep yo waiting, guys. So, what all did you get me today?"

Aedan said "We were able to find a bunch of Bunnelby playing out in the fields and a family of Zigzagoon sleeping."

Felix said "There was also a colony of Combee pollinating the flowers."

Mimi added "And some Flabébé singing in the meadow."

Viola commented "Ooh. Fantastic! I'm impressed. As a reward, you can keep the pictures you took."

Aedan said "Thanks, Viola."

"Anytime. By the way, your friend is here."

"I see that. Hey, Cole." He noticed Mina. "Um... Who's the chick?"

Mimi asked "Could that be his girlfriend?"

Felix said "No idea. It could be. However, wouldn't they be holding hands or something?"

Mina then replied "First of all, I'm not his girlfriend. Second of all, I'm only with him because he owes me dinner!"

Aedan was confused. "So... you're not his girlfriend, yet you're traveling with him so he can take you out later?" He then remarked sarcastically "Yeah, that makes sense."

She blushed. "Shut up!" She then punched Cole in the face. "Do you think I'm his girlfriend now?!"

They all shook their heads, horrified to what they have witnessed.

A drop of sweat fell down Viola's head. "Um... Shall we get going?"

They all headed inside.

First was Aedan's match.

The referee came onto the field. "In this match, our Gym Leader, Viola shall take on the challenger, Vaniville's own Aedan! This shall be a two-on-two match. No time limit shall be set. Let the battle begin!"

Viola sent out her first Pokémon. "Let's go, Surskit!"

"Surskit!"

Aedan brought out his own. "Pidgey, come on out!"

It flew in the air. "Pidgey!"

Aedan went first. "Pidgey, use Quick Attack!"

Pidgey flew full-speed and attacked Surskit, pushing it back.

Viola instructed it "Surskit, let's make up for that and use Bubble!"

It did as it was told, hitting Pidgey with its attack.

"Now, follow that up with your own Quick Attack!"

It went after Pidgey and knocked it out of the sky.

Aedan then said "Don't give up, Pidgey! You got this!"

It got up and flew back in the air.

"Alright! Now, use Gust to blow Surskit away!"

Pidgey then began to flap its wings until a heavy wind broke out and made Surskit hit one of the trees on the field.

Surskit had been defeated.

Viola returned it to its Pokéball. "You did your best, Surskit. Take a nice, long rest." She got out another Pokéball. "You may have defeated Surskit. But there's still one more obstacle you have to deal with! Let's go, Vivilion!" She threw it in the air.

A Vivilion came out. "Vivilion!"

Aedan returned Pidgey. "I also have an ace. Let's see if you can take the heat!" He threw another Pokéball in the air. "Come on out, Fennekin!"

His Fennekin came out, ready for battle. "Fenne!"

Viola said "Hm. A Fire type. Well then. Vivillion! Use Infestation!"

Vivilion sprayed out cloud of black specks from its mouth and they headed for Fennekin.

Aedan was shocked. "Fennekin! Get out of there!"

It tried to. But no matter where it went, the specks would follow it. They caught up rather quickly, attacking Fennekin when the cloud had finally reached it.

"Fennekin! No!"

Viola explained "You are right to worry. Infestation is a move that will keep coming at your Pokémon until they can barely stand. Sure, it doesn't immobilize them, but it does keep them from leaving battle. So, you have two options. One, you can wait until Infestation wears off and leave yourself wide-open. Or two, keep fighting, risking your Pokémon's well-being."

He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "Fennekin! Use Ember!"

"What?"

Fennekin did just that and it went straight for Vivilion.

Vivilion almost hit the ground before catching the air again. "VIV!"

Viola instructed "Quick, Vivilion, use Psybeam!"

Vivilion shot out a rainbow-colored ray.

Aedan then said "Dodge it, Fennekin!"

Fennekin got out of the way.

"Now, use Ember!"

Fennekin used the move, hitting Vivilion a second time.

Vivilion was almost out of juice. It could barely flap its wings.

Viola was shocked. "Use Struggle Bug!"

A red aura enveloped Vivilion. Then, it shot out, grazing Fennekin.

Aedan then instructed it to "Use Ember! Finish this off with a bang!"

Fennekin's last attack finished it for good. It knocked Vivilion into the ground, making a trail.

Viola couldn't believe it. She returned Vivilion. "I guess your offensive style worked out in the end." He walked over to Aedan. "As the official rules of the Pokémon League state, I hereby present you with Santalune's very own Bug Badge." She gave it to him.

"Sweet! See this, Fennekin! We're one step closer to the Pokémon League! Wooh!"

Fennekin jumped with joy. "Fenne! Fennekin!"

Viola continued "My Pokémon will be in fighting shape in a little while. Think you all can wait until then?"

The twins said "Sure."

Cole said "What's another hour or so? I'm in no big rush."

Viola said "Great. I'll be back soon. Until then." She exitted the gym.

Aedan ran to us. "Check it out, guys! A Bug Badge! Sweet, huh?"

Cole nodded "Yeah. Next will be Felix, then Mimi, then me!"

Felix went into a fetal position and began shaking.

Mimi sighed. "I thought you got over this."

Mina asked "What's wrong with him?"

Cole answered "Whenever he is faced with a challenge, he... Well, this." He pointed at Felix.

Felix mumbled "I'm going to lose, going to lose, going to lose!"

Aedan then helped him up. "Come on! This is no different from a normal battle! Just do your best and you'll be fine!"

"D-d-do my best. Right. Yeah." His legs were wobbling.

Mimi asked him "Felix, would you like to take an aspirin?"

"Yes, please. Thank you, sis."

Mimi helped him out of the gym.

Aedan then said "I better go give him some tips. See ya, Cole." He followed the twins out.

Cole also said "See ya."

Mina replied "You sure have some good friends. They are quite the characters."

"Yeah... They're the best."

"So, are you anxious?"

"Sort of."

"Who are you going to use?"

"I was thinking of using Vivilion and Froakie. Why?"

"You're not going to use Mightyena?"

"No, I think she goes through enough with me as her trainer. I don't want her to battle unless it's absolutely necessary."

Mightyena said "_I'm grateful you're considering my feelings into account, Cole. But if you need me to battle, I won't mind. That's what I'm here for._"

"I know. That's why I want to save you for the heavy hitters. Froakie and Vivilion need their share of battling time, Mightyena."

"_You have a point._"

Mina nodded. "For once, you made a smart decision. But remember, if you really do need Mightyena's help, don't be scared to send her out."

"You got it."

They exited the gym, heading for the Pokémon center.

When they entered, Cole went straight to the counter. "Excuse me, can you look at my Pokémon for a second? I need to be sure that they're at their best during my gym battle this afternoon."

Nurse Joy said "Of course."

"Mightyena, Froakie, return." He put them back in their Pokéballs and gave all three of them to the nurse.

She went to the back.

Cole then sat down.

Mina went into the changing room.

Cole thought "_I guess she was tired of wearing that cowl._"

She came out a few minutes later wearing white t-shirt and black skirt. "About time I changed out of that."

"I don't know. I thought of that cowl looked cool."

"Oh, please! I only have that thing so I don't get cold when I'm miles away from the next town."

"Made you look like a superhero to me."

She sarcastically asked "Really?"

"Yeah. Have you never heard of Gligarman from the Johto Region?"

"Don't even think of comparing me to that weirdo."

Aedan walked over to them. "Hey, guys. I see the ice queen's got a new outfit."

She scowled at him.

Cole responded "How are Fennekin and Pidgey doing?"

Aedan answered "They're okay. Just need some rest is all."

"So, do you have any other Pokémon with you?"

"Yeah." He took out a Pokéball and opened.

A Beedrill popped out. "Beedriiiiill!"

Cole shouted "Yipe!" and jumped.

Beedrill hid behind Aedan.

Aedan shouted "Cole! What's wrong with you?! You scared her!"

"ME?! Scare her?! A whole swarm of those things almost attacked me and Froakie when we were in the forest just yesterday!"

"Oh! No, no, no. This Beedrill's harmless. She was only a Weedle when I caught her. The worst she's ever done to me is accidentally poke me with one of her needles. Other than that, she's a softy."

"...Really?"

"Dude, I know this Beedrill. She doesn't have a violent bone in her body."

Beedrill was still hiding behind him. "Bee..."

"It's okay. He's my friend. It was only a misunderstanding."

"Bee?"

He nodded.

Beedrill slowly began to approach Cole. At first, it was scared.

Aedan told Cole "Give her a Sitrus Berry. She loves them."

Cole went through his backpack. "Hang on... No, that my pocketknife. Not that either. What's that doing in there. Oh, here we go!" He got out a Sitrus Berry.

Beedrill was so excited, she snatched it out of his hand.

Aedan laughed. "Told ya."

After she had finished the berry, she began to fly around Cole. "Bee! Beedrill! Beeedriiiilll!"

Viola snapped a picture without her noticing. "Fantastic shot!"

Beedrill then hid behind Aedan again.

The twins were with Viola.

Felix said "Sorry. We tried to stop her-"

Mimi finished it with "But she can never let an opportunity like that go to waste."

Aedan said "Don't worry about it. Beedrill needs to open up more anyway."

Viola approached Beedrill and patted her head. "I can tell she's trying. And with you as her trainer, she'll be okay."

"Well... um... thanks." He left.

She then asked "So, Felix, are you ready?"

He nodded nervously.

"Great! Let's head for the gym then."

Cole got his Pokéballs back and went with them.

Back at the gym, Felix's match began. He first used Bunnelby against Surskit. At first, it was one-sided, with Surskit beating up on Bunnelby. But it made a quick comeback using Mud-Slap to blind Surskit and finish it off with Quick Attack.

Bunnelby's victory was short-lived when Vivilion used Infestation to knock it out. Then, Felix sent out Fletchling and made it keep using Peck on Vivilion. When it used Infestation, Felix decided to have Fletchling use Quick Attack to dodge it and ram into Vivilion. However, Vivilion was able to keep Fletchling from hitting it by using Struggle Bug. This didn't stop Fletchling, as it delivered a final blow with Peck by swooping up on top of Vivilion's point of view and dropped down, slamming Vivilion into the ground.

Viola and Felix made a quick run to the Pokémon Center and returned.

Then, Mimi was next. She sent out a Fletchling of her own and was able to easily beat Surskit with a few Quick Attacks. Then, Vivilion used Infestation on Fletchling and then finished it off with Tackle. Mimi's last Pokémon was Pansear. The battle didn't last long. She kept instructing it to use Incinerate. She intentionally missed a few times to have Viola change her strategy from offense to defense. But, that just gave Mimi the opening she needed to finish Vivilion off with one shot at close range.

So, everyone had a Bug Badge but Cole.

After one last run to the center, Viola was finally ready to battle him.

The referee said "This will be a two-on-two match. The challenger, Cole, versus the gym leader, Viola. No time limits. Now, begin!"

Cole threw out Froakie. "Let's go!"

Viola sent out Surskit. "It's showtime!"

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	5. Chapter 5

**Cole's Dream**

_We left off with Cole ad co. making their way to Santalune City for his first gym battle when they bump into Viola, Santalune's very own gym leader. As soon as they reached the gym, Aedan and the twins were waiting. Turns out Viola had given them some of her extra cameras and take pictures in the next route over. Viola then went on to start her match with Aedan and the twins. They all had won their battles with almost no trouble at all, other than Felix's Bunnelby and Mimi's Fletchling getting knocked out by Viola's Vivilion._

_We now begin Cole's gym battle._

Cole was first. "Froakie, come on out!" He threw the Pokéball, revealing Froakie.

Froakie then stated "_Oh yeah! I'm ready to roll!_"

Viola followed up with "Surskit, it's showtime!"

It muttered "Sur Surskit!"

Everyone else was watching.

Mimi asked "Why send out Froakie? They're practically even. Wouldn't it be better to bring out Mightyena and finish it faster?"

Mina said "He's not going to use Mightyena."

Aedan bursted with anger "What do you mean he ain't gonna use it?! That's his best Pokémon!"

"True. But he can't just rely on Mightyena the whole time. He's going to need ALL of his Pokémon to even think about surviving his journey. I'd say this is the perfect test to see if he's ready."

Aedan calmed down. "Yeah... That makes sense. And he can always use it in a later match if he runs into some trouble."

Viola went first. "Surskit, use Quick Attack!"

Surskit dashed over to Froakie.

Cole instructed him to "Use Lick!"

Froakie licked Surskit's face, paralyzing it. "Sur-ur-ur-ur."

Mina was surprised "I've never seen it use that move before! Great job, Cole!"

Cole snickered and gave a thumbs-up to them. He turned back to the battlefield. "Alright, Froakie! While we have an advantage, you use your Quick Attack!"

Froakie kept raming into Surskit at its best speed.

Surskit had barely made a move go through and it was exhausted.

Viola commented "You trained that Froakie quite well. I didn't expect you to be this good after only a few days."

Cole replied "It wasn't easy. The past couple of days when I was awake, I trained Froakie in the forest. We only took a few breaks. I knew that Froakie would be tired from training so hard. That's why I went to the Pokémon Center so he'd be fully charged for today."

"Smart. But that won't stop me. Surskit, can you move?"

It nodded slowly.

"Then use Infestation!"

Surskit did just that.

Cole, frightened after seeing what happened to Fennekin, said "Use Quick Attack to get away from it!"

Froakie tried his best to outrun the move. But, to no avail, it had caught up with him. "_AH! OW! THEY KEEP BITING ME!_"

"FROAKIE!"

Mina commented on the situation "It would appear he's in a tight spot now. Froakie will continue to have its stamina drained by that move as long as it's out. And the worst part, Cole can't switch out for another Pokémon."

Felix frowned as he said "Yeah... Aedan got lucky when he faced it. Now Cole has to deal with it."

Cole then said "Froakie! I need you to use Water Pulse on yourself!"

"_Alright! I trust you, Cole!_" An orb fired from Froakie's hands and hit the ceiling, having the attack hit him, along with the cloud of specks, drowning them. "_It worked! Nice one!_"

Aedan, in awe, said "Woah! That was some move. He just washed Infestation away at the expense of his Froakie. Not even I would have went that far."

Mina replied "Yes... It was a rather risky tactic. He weakened his Pokémon. However, he saved it from suffering at the hands of that move... He's got quite the imagination."

Cole continued "Alright, Froakie! Here we go! Use Quick Attack and finish this off!"

"_You got it!_" It rammed into Surskit, knocking it out.

Viola returned it. "You did your best." She got out another Pokéball and threw it in the air.

Vivilion came out. "Vivilion!"

"So, are you going to switch out, or have Froakie keep fighting?"

Cole was silent for a moment.

Froakie told him "_I got this._"

He nodded. "I'll keep Froakie out."

Viola smiled. "It's obvious I can't hold back. So, Vivilion, use String Shot!"

"Dodge it and use Water Pulse!"

Froakie got out of the way and threw an orb at Vivilion. It surrounded Vivilion in water for a second and burst, bringing it down from the sky.

Viola told it "Grab some air and use Struggle Bug!"

Vivilion used the move, blasting a violet beam towards Froakie.

Cole instructed him "Use Water Pulse to slow it down!"

Froakie threw another orb at the beam. The collision created a cloud of smoke. The entire field was covered.

Vivilion then flew into the fog and rammed into the Froakie, knocking it out.

Before he was unresponsive, he said "_Sorry, Cole. I guess I wasn't strong enough to finish this on my own._" It finally collapsed.

He returned him to his pokeball. "Don't worry. We'll win this. Then, we'll be one step closer to the Pokémon League." He got out another Pokéball.

Aedan asked "Which one's he gonna use?"

Mimi followed that with "Yeah! Which one?"

Felix bit at his nails.

Before sending his last Pokémon out, he said "You can do this. I have faith in you. I know _you_ won't go down that easily. This is our last chance... So, let's make it count."

Mina smiled.

Cole threw it in the air. "Go!"

Out popped his Vivilion, snickering like it first did when it was a Scatterbug.

Viola was shocked. "You're going to use a Vivilion against mine?"

"Yep. But let me tell you, this one is a real prankster. He'll be here one minute and gone the next."

Viola asked "What do you" She noticed it had vanished. "mean?..." She looked everywhere. She then told her Vivilion "Stay alert."

It nodded. Nothing happened for a little while. But suddenly, from out of nowhere, String Shot had encased Viola's Vivilion's body.

Cole then said "This is what I meant."

Viola quickly told it "Vivilion, break out and use Struggle Bug!"

Vivilion kept firing throughout the gym. Cole's Vivilion couldn't be found.

Viola felt something strange on her back. It was Cole's pokemon. "What the-"

It snickered and rammed into her Vivilion.

Viola instructed her's to "Use Infestation."

Her Vivilion used the move.

Cole told his to "Use Protect!"

It created a barrier, stopping the cloud of specks. It then snickered again.

Viola was even more surprised. "It just stopped Infestation in its tracks!"

Mina said "That's not all. Like your Vivilion, it has its own ultimate attack."

Cole said "Struggle Bug, now!"

Vivilion blasted a violet beam at Vivilion. For a while, it cried out in pain. Then, when the attack was complete, Vivilion fell to the ground.

Cole's Vivilion then flew back to his shoulder.

Viola then returned her's to its Pokéball. She sighed. "I may have lost. But it was fun. Your Pokémon are pretty tough."

"Thanks. I try my best."

"As promised, for defeating my Pokémon, you are hereby granted the Bug Badge." She handed it to him. "You've earned it."

"Thank you, Viola. So... where is the next gym?"

Everyone fell head-first.

Aedan shouted "You don't know?!"

The twins then said "Cole is dumb!"

Mina added "My thoughts exactly!"

Viola laughed. "Well, to tell you the truth, the nearest one is in Lumiose City. But I don't think Clemont is ready to fight yet."

"The gym leader? Why not?"

"There's been a recent power failure in the northern end."

Mina became angry. "WHAT?!" She then ran to Viola and started to jostle her back and forth by the collar of her shirt. "But that's where the best restaurants are at! How am I suppose to get my fancy dinner now?!"

After that, Viola's eyes began to swirl. "There's a gym in Cyllage City if you wanna try that. Ooh, look at the pretty Butterfree."

Cole then said "Cyllage City, huh? ...Alright!"

Mina then shouted "WHAT?!" She grabbed him by _his _collar. "You promised!"

"Look, that blackout isn't going to go away anytime soon. So, why don't we just spend the rest of the time getting some badges?" He then turned to Aedan's group. "That sound good to you guys?"

Aedan shrugged his shoulders "Sure. Why not? I've been itching to see the Parfam Palace place. I hear the fireworks there are awesome."

Mimi said "Yeah! I wanted to see Shabboneau Castle in Canphrier Town anyway."

Felix said "This extra time can be spent on training my Pokémon for the next gym."

Cole then made a goofy smile and said to Mina "Looks like we'll be traveling together for a little longer."

Mina responded "Don't push it, Cole. You're lucky that I'm willing to wait." She let go of him and walked out.

Viola then said "She sure has changed. Back when she challenged me, she was very nice. She was possibly the friendliest girl I ever faced."

"Her?"

"Yeah. She even helped me take some good pictures of some of the local Pokémon."

"Really? ...I wonder what happened."

"She said she had three badges?"

"Yeah. Apparently, back before I was even a trainer, she had been chasing down Mightyena just so she would be able to get her fourth badge."

"I guess she had a bad experience in her last battle."

Aedan said "Hey, Cole, we're gonna be moving out now. So, we'll be seeing ya."

Cole replied "Alright. See ya."

They went on their way out.

"I'm better go too. If I take any longer, Mina will wring my neck."

She nodded. "Good luck on your journey. And take care of your Pokémon."

"I will. See ya!" He ran out. He went to the Pokémon Center, then met Mina in the northern exit.

"It's about time. What took you?"

"I had to have Nurse Joy look at Froakie and Vivilion is all. Oh!" He let out Froakie and Mightyena.

Mightyena stretched "_Mph! That Pokéball can get really cramped up._"

Froakie jumped on Cole's shoulder. "_I hear that! I get sick and tired of being in that thing sometimes._"

Cole said "Sorry, guys. I can't always have you out."

Mightyena then said "_It's alright. Besides, at least when I'm in there, I don't attract attention._"

Mina interrupted their conversation with "Come on! Let's hurry up!"

Cole sighed and followed her into the next route, along with Mightyena.

Froakie jumped on his shoulder.

It was a quiet walk for a while. Mina was leading the way. Cole just followed her.

Mina finally broke the silence. "So, Cole."

"Hm?"

"Why did you want to be a trainer anyway?"

He stopped. "It's kind of personal."

She stopped too. "We all have our reasons for being out here. So, if we're going to be traveling together, we at least need to know what each of us is trying to achieve."

"Why don't you tell me first?"

"...Alright." She crossed her arms. "I started my journey so I can live up to a promise I made to my parents."

"What promise is that?"

"...I promised them that when I got into at least the top four of the Pokémon League, I'd give them more publicity for their ranch."

"You have a ranch?"

"It's more of a day care really. They take in sick or weak Pokémon and get them back on their feet. We give them medicine and train them in ways the trainer couldn't."

"Cool."

"Not really."

"Huh?"

Froakie asked "_Why not?_"

Mina turned away. "We're starting to lose business. We only get like two customers a day. We used to have about ten times that much every couple of days. Now... we can barely keep up with the times. No one cares about their Pokémon's health anymore. They just want to make them stronger."

Cole said "That's terrible! The first thing a trainer must be concerned about is the well-being of their Pokémon!"

"That's exactly what my parents thought. But no one cares what small businesses owners think when all they have to do is inject a Mienfoo with a super strength serum and they can take on ten Machamp at once."

"I would never do that to any of my Pokémon! I'd soon as be the weakest trainer in the world than give Froakie something that could be harmful to him!"

"Well... that's how the world is now. You can't really stop it... Well, I told you my story. So, tell me yours."

"...Well, I became a trainer so I could find my dad."

"Your dad?"

He nodded. "His name is Newton Finster. He's a scientist that studies the genetic structure of Pokémon."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. I got to see Pokémon that I never saw before. I even saw a Rotom."

"That is pretty amazing."

"I know! But... one day, when he was working, there was an accident. An Absol went on a rampage, destroying everything in the lab."

"An Absol?"

"Yeah... My dad was doing research on it, along with some other Pokémon to see if he could use their genes to create a Pokémon that would have the physical characteristics of one, while having the fighting skills of two."

"I heard about that. It was a very experimental process that would take months to prepare for and months longer to start research."

"Well, no one knows what happened to the Absol. And my dad's been missing ever since. But I know he's out there! He's got to be!"

"...Sounds like you really care about him, huh?"

"He's my dad. He taught me everything I know about Pokémon. What to feed them, how to know what they're feeling, and even how to take care of them when they don't feel well. He was the best! That's why I know that he's still out there somewhere. If I became a trainer, I would be able to find him and bring him back home! Then, we'd be a family again."

"It would seem our goals aren't so different."

"How do you figure?"

"You wanted to become a trainer to find your father and bring him back home. I became one so I could help my parents get their business back. Don't you see, Cole? We're doing this so our lives can go back to the way they use to be!"

"Yeah. What's your point?"

"All I'm saying is... perhaps I misjudged you way too quickly. If I took the time to actually know you, I would have realized that instead of being enemies, we could be... friends."

"Okay... Who are you and what have you done with the real Mina?"

"I'm being serious!"

"So am I."

She sighed. "Let's start over, okay?" She extended her hand out. "My name is Mina. I have three gym badges and am hoping to get into the Pokémon League, and reach the top four so I can help my parents with their struggling business."

He was kind of scared.

Mightyena then said "_Oh! Just shake her hand already!_"

Froakie followed that with "_Yeah. Come on, Cole._"

He slowly shook her hand. "My name's Cole. I want to enter the League myself. However, my main goal right now is to find my dad and bring him home."

Mina replied "Nice to meet you, Cole."

"Same here. Now, why don't we head for Cyllage City so I can get my next badge?"

"Why not? It's going to be a while for Lumiose City to get its power back on. And you still owe me that dinner."

He laughed. "I haven't forgotten."

"Alright, let's go!" She ran.

"What the- Hey! Wait up!" He went after her.

Mightyena then said "_This is getting interesting. I wonder what's waiting round the corner._"

Meanwhile, in an undisclosed location, a dark-skinned woman, with long, flowing silver hair in a trench coat was talking to a shadowy figure on a monitor. "May I ask who this is?"

Their voice was disguised. "That I cannot reveal at the moment. I called you here to take a job."

"What do you want me to catch?"

"I want you to capture a reverse-colored Mightyena and bring it back to our headquarters."

"What's in it for me?"

"You will be paid accordingly. As this Mightyena is quite valuable to us, we will pay about seven figures."

"That's a lot of zeros." She smiled. "You can count on me. No one can escape the iron grip of Bounty Hunter Tamela."

**TO BE CONTINUED**


End file.
